Index to Irish Wills 1484-1858: Where to find the wills?

[John Falvey]

….and no, you cannot look up wills with a "T" reference from https://www.nationalarchives.ie/search-the-online-catalogue/simple/#!/

[Gilby]

Wow, no wonder I get confused.  So the T numbers are references given by the LDS rather than NAI?  If the physical records are held by the NAI, is there any way to find them in their catalogue?  I find the PRONI catalogue much easier, but that may be because I’ve actually been there a load of times, whereas I’ve yet to make it down to the NAI or NLI in Dublin…

The 8x6000 card indexes should in theory be a list of most wills for which there is a surviving copy or abstract?  These names should also be included in Eneclann “Index of Irish Wills 1484-1858”, right?  (Or at least all the pre-1858 ones.)

I had a go at checking the card indexes and cross-referencing to the T numbers and Thrift Abstracts, with some success.  I also saw references to grant books and the surviving Connor will book.  Then there are random ones like the “Greene MSS”…?

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSH8-R3Y1-L?i=4090&cat=1047420

What we need is a master list of ALL wills/administrations which says whether or not a known abstract or copy exists, and if so where to find it.

[Gilby]

The will book that covered 1664-1684 was Book 13, one of five that have 1676 wills in them. See https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-994X-T227?i=10&cat=466810

Ah!  I’d thought the book included all Prerogative wills for that period.  It is good to know, but also quite disappointing.

I think the "I" next to Robert's name indicates that he died Intestate. That's borne out by Betham see https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89LW-24YF?i=167&cat=224404

Yes, ok, this makes more sense now.  Thanks.

[Gilby]

I’ve come across a T reference I can’t find for a James Stevenson (1833):
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSJD-Z849?i=2482&cat=1047420

None of the films listed here seem to include a T8809:
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/225052?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Though the one with DGS number 8086229 apparently has T8804, T8818, T8819 etc.  When I look at the microfilm I’m struggling to see any T-numbers:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNP-493C-8?i=6&cat=225052

Am I likely to find T8809 in here eventually if I go through all the images?  James Stevenson (1833) is not listed in your index.

[John Falvey]

There are gaps in the LDS filming, often they include a sheet saying which ones are missing. Also some of the early filming was done before the documents had reference numbers written on them.

[John Falvey]

The Greene MSS are at https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/469457?availability=Family%20History%20Library - only accessible from an LDS Family History Centre though.

[Gilby]

Thanks for the link to the Greene MSS.  Do you know why the LDS only allow viewing at Family History Centres for some of their microfilms?

Any idea what the PRONI reference is for the 1370 estate duty wills they hold?

Do you know if anyone has attempted to index the wills in the IGRS Card Index?

[John Falvey]

I'm afraid I haven't worked out the logic behind LDS decisions. Looking back at some of the recent links I've mentioned I had marked them as "only available at FHC" (Family History Center), but they've obviously become available in the last year.

I don't know the PRONI reference for the Estate Duties wills, though I have looked through the LDS catalogue at https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/597301?availability=Family%20History%20Library and most of the wills were proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) so you can get them for free from Kew. Some weren't PCC though, an extract from a London will for Jeremiah Lawler is attached.

Something else that is supposed to be at PRONI is the Tenison Groves collection - https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/361776?availability=Family%20History%20Library There's a 100 page index to it at https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/437667-redirection This is also available at a FHC - it's nicely typed too.

As for the IGRS wills I did think of indexing it but the majority of wills were Betham so I quit after the letter "A".

[John Falvey]

Random list of will abstracts:
16 Carrigan Clerical Wills   https://archive.org/details/archiviumhiberni01cath/page/148
42 Carrigan Clerical Wills   https://www.jstor.org/stable/25485474
10 Cashel Wills/ Extracts   https://www.jstor.org/stable/25502565
10 Langford will extracts by Sadleir   https://archive.org/details/descendantsofjoh00maes/page/n16/mode/2up
15 Blake Wills   https://archive.org/details/blakefamilyrecor00blak/page/n291/mode/2up
311 Butler Wills + admons   https://archive.org/details/testamentaryreco00clar/page/n3
200+ Quaker Wills   https://www.failteromhat.com/quaker/quakerindex.php
Waterford IX - 4 wills   http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ejournals/100149/100149.pdf
Waterford X - 7 wills   http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ejournals/100161/100161.pdf
Waterford XI - 9 wills   http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ejournals/103783/103783.pdf
Waterford XII - 6 wills   http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ejournals/100589/100589.pdf
Waterford XIII - 2 wills   http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ejournals/100156/100156.pdf
Waterford XVI - dozens   http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ejournals/100158/100158.pdf
Waterford XVII - dozens   http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ejournals/103799/103799.pdf
Waterford XVIII - dozens   http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ejournals/105239/105239.pdf
Upton Papers - Hodson, Dunne etc   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSH3-S3Q4-T?mode=g&i=294&cat=449656
Limerick  - Andrew Welsh 1782   http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/NMAS%20vol%2002%20no%2001,%20(x)%20Miscellanea%20-%20Information%20of%20Dr.%20Zachary%20Ormsby;%20Will%20of%20a%20Limerick%20printer%20of%20the%2018th%20century%20(Andrew%20Welsh).pdf
Limerick - 5 wills   http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/NMAJ%20vol%201%20no%204%2019%20Some%20Limerick%20Wills,%20by%20R.%20Hayes.pdf
Limerick - 6 wills   http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/NMAJ%20vol%202%20no%202%2009%20Some%20Old%20Limerick%20Wills,%20by%20Dr.%20Richard%20Hayes.pdf
Limerick - 106 wills & abstracts by Sadleir?   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSH7-H9N6-9?cat=225052
700 pages, mainly Waterford, lots illegible   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSH7-H9VC-8?i=702&cat=225052
Langrishe Abstracts - 70 wills typed   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNH-W9YM-7?i=459&cat=225052
Langrishe Abstracts? - 100+ wills not typed   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNH-W9TV-B?i=551&cat=225052
Roscommon, Ormsby - 13 typed abstracts   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNR-MS8Z?i=293&cat=225052
Cork - 4 Sarsfield abstracts   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNR-W9GF-7?i=614&cat=225052
Cloyne - 12 abstracts   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNR-W9GF-G?i=615&cat=225052
Ulster - 15 abstracts plus other snippets   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNR-3LM2?i=153&cat=225052
Sundry wills in Register of Deeds   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNR-3LNX?i=622&cat=225052
Drought Wills - 81 + 2 Admons   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNP-Z9ZF-9?i=445&cat=225052
Skerrett Wills by Crosslé - 29 mainly Tuam   https://www.jstor.org/stable/44973624?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Crosslé 40 pages of Moore wills extracts and Admons   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89LW-G9YP-K?i=5&cat=234637
Thrift - 50 pages of Magenis wills and admons   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89L7-Y9MV-P?i=716&cat=234649
plus   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89L7-Y9MT-G?i=568&cat=234649
Thrift - 600 pages of wills and bonds   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99LW-X4R8?mode=g&i=16&cat=234649
Thrift - 800 pages of wills and admons   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99LW-F9HC-P?i=3&cat=234649
Thrift - 900 pages of wills and admons   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9LW-G8F9?i=3&cat=234649
Thrift - 250 pages of wills and admons   https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99LW-G944-H?i=4&cat=234649